The tough attendance and leave rules of Government College University are pursued by the authorities so strictly that hundreds of Intermediate and graduation students have been declared ineligible for appearing in the examination and some of them have been expelled from the university as well while others are subjected to heavy fines and repeat of the semester which take toll on their career.
The rules have been framed without taking into account the ground realities and ordeals of young students and their parents – economic hardships, poverty, transport problems, inclement weather and general unrest and anarchy in the country, said an office-bearer of the Student Action committee.
He further said that Pakistan is a country which witnesses two extremely hot and cold weathers – May, June-July and August, which is also a rainy season in summer and November, December-January and February in winter marked with winter rains. Both these seasons entail heavy risk of weather-related diseases.
Some 266 students have been declared ineligible under these rules a couple of days back while such a large number of students in the recent past also had fallen victim to these rules.
The attendance and leave rules in GCU were framed in the year 2004 soon after the college transformed into a university. These are, “The admission of a student, who remains absent from class for 15 days or more after depositing his/her admission dues and obtaining roll number etc, will be considered as cancelled.”
Only those who attend their classes upto 75 per cent of the total number of lectures delivered in each subject of Ist and 2nd year respectively and 75 per cent of total number of periods specified for practical are eligible to appear in the examination.
For BA and BSc (4-years Hons) 85 per cent lectures per course/paper must be attended, lest the students have to repeat the course/paper.
If a student remains absent for three or more consecutive days in a month, his/her name will be dropped from the roll call. Students struck off once will be given just one chance for re-admission in an academic year. If a student remains absent for three or more days in a subject/paper in a month but with an overall attendance percentage of 85 per cent, his/her name will be exempted from the struck-off list. However, he/she will have to deposit a fine of Rs 500. Their admission after depositing the fine is possible only within a specified due date. The re-admission fee is Rs 1,000. Casual leave is not granted in the university. Leave is granted only on medical grounds supported by medical certificate ratified by the university medical officer. The students should apply for such leave within three days of illness. Leave application is not accepted on plain paper but on a prescribed form available with the clerk at Rs 20.
The fine for missing a period is Rs 10. The fine for absence from English, Urdu (composition) or Islamiyat and Pakistan Studies period is Rs 50 per period.
Both for intermediate and BA, BSc the fine for absence from tutorial group is also Rs 50.
While counting lectures, no exemption will be granted to any student who remains absent from the classes due to illness or any other reason.
However, the exemption may be granted to sportsmen or students taking part in co-curricular activities, which in no case will exceed 15 days in an academic year.
When contacted Registrar GCU Sahibzada Faisal Khursheed said that nothing is wrong with the rules. The parents and students know these rules, so they should follow them strictly. He, however, said that GCU authorities have made some changes in the rules. The Nation
